Awards Season is a funny time for the world of movies. A year's worth of great work is quickly encapsulated in the quest for statues which will help cement the winner's place in film history. One of this year's films that has probably the most Oscar buzz is Damien Chazelle's romantic musical dramedy La La Land, which cleaned house at this year's Golden Globes. After winning a whopping seven awards and breaking the previous record for most wins, it seems like La La Land is set up or an awesome Oscar Sunday. But not everyone is that wild about the musical, and Saturday Night Live addressed the naysayers in a hilarious new sketch.
Last night Aziz Ansari hosted Saturday Night Live, where did a variety of pretty great sketches. But perhaps my favorite was "La La Land Interrogation", where Ansari was arrested for not being obsessed with the movie. The results are pretty hilarious, check it out.
I mean, come on. Aziz Ansari's honest and calm response to La La Land, juxtaposed with the almost manic police officers who were interrogating him made for a truly noteworthy sketch. Let's break it down.
The sketch begins with Aziz Ansari in a police station after some "incriminating" footage was found of him on a date. Said footage? Just a dinner conversation where Ansari admitted that he liked La La Land, but thought it dragged a bit toward the middle of the film. That was all it took to book him, as the interrogating officers guffawed at his lack of enthusiasm for the romantic movie musical. La La Land is perfect, damnit; they need Aziz to realize it.
What is the most effective about this sketch is that many of Aziz Ansari's problems with La La Land are exactly what the film has been praised for. While he was unimpressed with the vocal performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, it was definitely a purposeful choice on the part of Damien Chazelle. Rather than highlighting Broadway voices, the film featured a cast who sang more like the average moviegoer. And while Ansari's character in the sketch didn't enjoy the myriad montages that were present toward the middle of the film, it was done to show the passing of time through the story.
The interrogating officers reached a true boiling point when Aziz Ansari's character revealed that he actually fell asleep at around the middle of La La Land's runtime. Fans will know that this is when some of the film's most magical moments happen, including Sebastian and Emma' dance among the stars at the Griffith Observatory. With the revelation that Ansari actually missed this gorgeous sequence, Cecily Strong basically loses her shit.
This was probably my favorite sketch of the night, although it did make me rethink my adoration for La La Land. That being said, I'm going to retire to listen to the soundtrack for the 400th time.
